This 1918 Oldsmobile Speedster belongs to the Cavender Automotive Group. It was acquired to promote Cavender Oldsmobile, one of the oldest divisions of the Cavender Group before the brand's demise in 2004. After that it was parked in the basement of a Cavender Cadillac building and essentially forgotten. However, its prospects took a turn for the better when, in November 2015, it was loaned to the Texas Transportation Museum. The museum hopes to get it running in due course.

1918 Oldsmobile Speedster as found in November 2015

1918 Oldsmobile speedster as found in November 2015 in the basement of a Cavender building in San Antonio

1918 Oldsmobile speedster as found in November 2015 in the basement of a Cavender building in San Antonio

1918 Oldsmobile speedster as found in November 2015 in the basement of a Cavender building in San Antonio

1918 Oldsmobile speedster as found in November in the basement of a Cavender building in San Antonio

1918 Oldsmobile speedster as found in November 2015 in the basement of a Cavender building in San Antonio

1918 Oldsmobile speedster in the sunshine for the first time in decades, November 2015

1918 Oldsmobile speedster in the sunshine for the first time in decades, November 2015

1918 Oldsmobile speedster in the sunshine for the first time in decades, November 2015

1918 Oldsmobile speedster in the sunshine for the first time in decades, November 2015

1918 Oldsmobile in a work shop at the Texas Transportation Museum, November 2015

Unusual twin fan on the 1918 Oldsmobile, November 2015

Not much is known about the origins of this vehicle. It was acquired for promotional purposes by the founder of the Cavender Group, who also acquired a 1903 Curved Dash Oldsmobile. In all likelihood, the car was originally purchased as a two seat factory roadster or even pick-up by a young man some time in the 1920s or 1930s. As was common at the time, he chopped down the body and added features that transformed it into the snazzy speedster we see today. There are any number of changes to its running gear under the hood as well as cosmetic changes such as no doors, fancy headlights and a revamped dashboard. It even has three gas tanks!

1918 Oldsmobile Speedster at the Texas Transportation Museum

1918 Oldsmobile on display at the Texas Transportation Museum, March 2016

Polished headlights on the 1918 Oldsmobile on display at the Texas Transportation Museum, March 2016

1918 Oldsmobile on display at the Texas Transportation Museum, March 2016

1918 Oldsmobile on display at the Texas Transportation Museum, March 2016

There is a good chance that this is the only 1918 Oldsmobile speedster in the world! The difference between a roadster and a speedster is that the roadster came from the factory with doors and a roof, but the speedster is largely the work of an individual fabricator who took a standard body and made significant changes. It also means 'liberties' were taken under the hood to soup up performance. We look forward to finding out !

1918 Oldsmobile Speedster at the Texas Transportation Museum

1918 Oldsmobile on display at the Texas Transportation Museum, March 2017

1918 Oldsmobile on display at the Texas Transportation Museum, March 2017

1918 Oldsmobile on display at the Texas Transportation Museum, March 2017

1918 Oldsmobile on display at the Texas Transportation Museum, March 2017

Images of other 1918 Oldsmobile Model 37 roadsters and a pick-up

1918 Oldsmobile Model 37 factory roadster

1918 Oldsmobile Model 37 factory roadster

1918 Oldsmobile Model 37 factory roadster

1918 Oldsmobile Model 37 factory rpick-up, or runabout as they were called at the time